Know Thy User: The Role
of Research in Great Interactive Design DAVID SHERWIN / HOW INTERACTIVE DESIGN CONFERENCE THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2012 / T: @CHANGEORDER / B: CHANGEORDERBLOG.COM

What? Why? When? Who? Where?
How? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 2

What is user research? Why?
When? Who? Where? How? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 3

A quick survey about user
research… Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 4

Have you have conducted or
participated in user research before? 1. Yes, I do it every week 2. Yes, I do it at least once a month 3. Yes, I do it every few months 4. Yes, but it was a really long time ago 5. No, I don’t do user research yet (why’dya think I’m here?!!) Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 5

Have you have conducted or
participated in user research before? 1. Yes, I do it every week 2. Yes, I do it at least once a month 3. Yes, I do it every few months 4. Yes, but it was a really long time ago 5. No, I don’t do user research yet (why’dya think I’m here?!!) Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 6

We just did some research.
Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 7

re•search (n.) 1. careful or
diligent search 2. investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, blah blah blah etc. Why are you still reading this? Basic human curiosity. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 8

We do this to stay
informed and inspired.

User research helps us identify
and fill gaps in our knowledge through systematic investigation about how and why people use technology.

environment activities people devices interactions
User research helps us identify and fill gaps in our knowledge through systematic investigation about how and why people use technology.

environment activities people devices interactions
It helps us build empathy for how people live their lives and better design for their needs.

If you and your client
don’t know, you should do some user research. What do we and our client already know? What do you need to know to design? Is it mission-critical user experience? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Objectives What do we want
to know? Synthesis Understanding opportunities Hypotheses What are our assumptions? Research Gathering information and knowledge Methods How do we plan to learn?

Objectives Objective: What do we
want to know? How much research have you done? Synthesis Synthesis: Understanding opportunities I change what I say Hypotheses Hypothesis: to better suit your What are ourhave done Attendees assumptions? level of experience little to no research? Research Research: Gathering information andthe survey Carried out knowledge with all of you Methods Method: How dosurvey: to learn? Quick we plan 30 seconds or less during a 30-minute talk

What is user research? Why
should I include user research on projects? When? Who? Where? How? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 16

Why should I include user
research on projects? 1. Research helps you gain insight into customer behavior. “The reason why…" Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Why should I include user
research on projects? 2. Research helps you define what functionality is most critical. “The right design.” Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Why should I include user
research on projects? 3. Research helps you improve the usability of interactive systems. “The design right.”

What is user research? Why
should I include user research on projects? When should user research be part of projects? Who? Where? How? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 22

Research can happen at any
point in a project where you have a gap in knowledge.

1. When you need to
build foundational understanding. You don’t know what you don’t know. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Know Thy User: The Role
of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

2. When you need to
generate inspiration and ideas for design. Seeing how users think through what they say, do, and make. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Know Thy User: The Role
of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

3. When you need to
evaluate and inform design solutions. Does the design match how they think about doing it? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Know Thy User: The Role
of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

What is user research? Why
should I include user research on projects? When should user research be part of projects? Who do we include in user research? Where? How? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 31

Bad recruiting is bad research.
Start by finding the right people! Photo 373877988 by Fensterbme CC remix / flickr.com Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Be scrappy in how you
recruit. Google Docs, Facebook, and your address book are a great start. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Research is a team sport.
Work on teams, so you can debate the data (and your biases). Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Bring along your clients. There’s
no substitute for experiencing your customer’s needs firsthand. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

What is user research? Why
should I include user research on projects? When should user research be part of projects? Who do we include in user research? Where should I conduct user research? How? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 36

Context is king. Go where
people live, work, play, and access technology.

Create safe spaces for participation.
Set up where you meet to provide human comfort.

If you can’t go there,
ask them to share. Remote research doesn’t mean you can’t ask for a peek. Get this book: Bolt, Nate; Tulathimutte, Tony. 2010. Remote Research. New York: Rosenfeld Media.http://www.rosenfeldmedia.com/books/remote-research/ Photo via CC Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license, image #4218829603 on Flickr.

What is user research? Why
should I include user research on projects? When should user research be part of projects? Who do we include in user research? Where should I conduct user research? How do I get started doing user research? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 40

Include the appropriate user research
as part of your project process. Research isn’t a line item. It isn’t optional. It’s integral to understanding what to design. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Craft well-considered research plans to
focus your efforts. See the attached handout for a deep dive into how to construct one. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

The 7 Parts of a
Well-Crafted Research Plan • Project Context: The client’s business problem • Objectives: Questions and gaps in knowledge • Audience: Demographics and psychographics • Locations: Where the research takes place • Methods: Activities that help you fill the gaps • Schedule: When the activities will happen • Outcomes: What deliverables are generated Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Explore which methods you may
use (or make!) for your future research See your handout for details on the following… Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Surveys and Questionnaires

Contextual Inquiry / In-Home Interview
Foundational & Generative

Shop-Alongs and Follow Me Arounds
Foundational & Generative

Diary Study
Generative or Evaluative

Task Analysis
Foundational & Generative

Card Sorting
Generative

Paper Prototyping
Generative

Prototype Testing
Evaluative

Usability Testing (Remote or In
Person) Evaluative

Build up a network of
colleagues and resources to support you. The best way to learn how to do user research is to practice on projects and collaborate with practitioners. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

What is user research? Why
should I include user research on projects? When should user research be part of projects? Who do we include in user research? Where should I conduct user research? How do I get started doing user research? Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12 55

You’ll always have more questions.
Use this process to get better answers. Know Thy User: The Role of Research in Great Interactive Design 06/23/12

Email: david.sherwin@frogdesign.com Twitter: @changeorder Blog:
changeorderblog.com Available December 2012 from HOW Books: amzn.to/successbydesign © 2012 frog. All rights reserved.